World Wetlands Day aims to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet. It marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which was signed on 2 February 1971, in Ramsar, Iran.
Wetlands are indispensable natural capital. They offer countless benefits or “ecosystem services”, ranging from freshwater supply, food and building materials, and biodiversity, to flood control, groundwater recharge and climate change mitigation. They are lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and salt pans.
The Global Wetland Outlook, Ramsar's flagship publication, examines the state and trends of wetlands. It reviews the drivers of wetland loss and degradation, identifies knowledge gaps, highlights successes and best practices, and outlines responses for the wetland community and other sectors to maintain or restore the ecological character of the world's wetlands, including:
- Enhancing the network of Ramsar Sites and other wetland protected areas
- Integrating wetlands into planning and the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda
- Strengthening legal and policy arrangements to conserve all wetlands
- Implementing Ramsar guidance to achieve wise use
- Applying economic and financial incentives for communities and businesses
- Ensuring participation of all stakeholders in wetland management
- Improving national wetland inventories and tracking wetland extent